On a night when whistles, conversations and explanation prevented either team from getting into a rhythm, the Onsted Wildcats girls basketball team clawed its way through the Hudson Tigers and a few other obstacles to earn a Lenawee County Athletic Association win in enemy territory, 51-37.

The game wasn't a one-way road, and the 14-point margin of victory was a continual act of pulling ahead for Onsted (3-5, 2-2 LCAA). The Wildcats held leads of four after one quarter, eight at the half and 12 after three before outscoring Hudson (1-5, 0-3) by two in the final frame.

Hudson scored the first hoop of the game, and until the Wildcats scored, they couldn't get into their game plan, which is to use their speed in the back court and pressure the other team's ballhandlers. With a couple of state track championships in sprint relays under their belts, Onsted's tandem of Ashlin Aiken and Regan McNutt can cause all types of chaos when the flow of the game is in their favor.

The rhythm of the game was choppy at best with the teams combining for 41 fouls. When the game would slow down to a crawl, Hudson did just that, crawl back into the game. With harassing hands and quickness that is difficult to prepare for, the Wildcats were able to turn a two-point deficit into an eight-point lead in a matter of 90 seconds. The Wildcats' top three scorers, all senior guards, accounted for Onsted's scoring.

McNutt or Aiken would make a steal and feed the other, combining for six points. When they weren't doing that, they found teammate Karah Slater toeing the line and draining two long triples.

However, the remaining four minutes of the quarter slowed way down, and the change in speed let Hudson slowly push its way back in the game. Onsted held a slim 12-8 lead after one quarter.

"We want to push the ball, be a team that utilizes our speed, and when we are able to do that, things go well for us," said Onsted coach Kara Gardner. "In order to do that, we need to have somewhat of a consistent flow to the game, and it's difficult to get into that rhythm when the game is stopped as often as it was tonight."

The game continued that way, with Onsted making a surge, and the Tigers finding ways to get back into the game enough to make the Tigers' hope for their first league win a possibility.

"Our defense was what really kept us in the game," said Hudson coach Leslie Godfrey. "We were able to cause some turnovers even after we had some of our own, but with the way the game went, it was tough for us to gather any real momentum, plus the whistles slow the girls down just a little and cause hesitation, which you can't have against a team with the speed Onsted has."

Page 2 of 2 - Just like the first quarter, the Tigers struck early in the second. Just over a minute into the quarter, Onsted's lead was cut in half 14-12. Sure enough, though, the Wildcats used their in-your-face pressure to push the ball and push out the lead. The Wildcats led 29-21 at halftime.

Onsted showed consistency in the third quarter. After outscoring the Tigers by four in each of the first two frames, the Wildcats did it again, scoring four more points than Hudson did in the third quarter. Onsted began to look like a team that was gathering control, finishing the third period with a 38-26 lead that looked pretty comfortable.

A trio of Tigers were doing their best to keep their team within reach. Emily Ladd, Jackie Raeff and Lauren Lake had 25 of the Tigers' 26 points after three quarters. However, they weren't able to keep up with the three Onsted seniors, who had scored 32 points at that stage of the game.

A long, drawn out fourth quarter did nothing to change the way the game was going, and with Aiken sealing the deal at the line going 5-for-6 over the last minute and change, the Wildcats walked away with victory.